


Homecomings

by DoomFox



Category: Sonic Boom (Cartoon), Sonic the Hedgehog (2020), Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Adopted Children, Family Fluff, Mild Language, Other, Parenthood
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:41:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24857011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoomFox/pseuds/DoomFox
Summary: Years after being taken in by the Wachowskis, an adult Sonic visits his adoptive parents. and together they plan a special vacation...
Comments: 32
Kudos: 135





	1. Home sweet home

**Author's Note:**

> This is a little story I wrote about a fully-grown Sonic Wachowski visiting his mom and dad. It was inspired by a drawing by Solar Socks on tumblr. Link below!
> 
> Solar Socks https://solar-socks.tumblr.com  
> 
> 
> This takes place ten years after the movie. Sonic is twenty three and Tails is eighteen. Is also based on the Sonic Boom! Universe, too.
> 
> All characters are aged up ten years.
> 
> Additional: this was just going to be the one chapter, but I love writing this so expect at least four chapters! I'll update whenever a chapter is ready.

"I said hold it!"  
"I'm trying, It keeps twisting around!"  
"How can it be so hard to get up?!?"  
"shove it in harder, it keeps popping out..."  
" Hold on... Yes! Yes! I got it!! "  
Tom and Maddie Wachowski stepped back and wiped the sweat from their brows, having finally erected the gazebo frame in their back yard. It had taken them half an hour to get the blasted thing together, and in the hot summer weather they had worked up a hell of a lather.  
Tom ran a hand through his moustache. "Well it's a little crooked," his chest heaved, " but I think we made a decent job of it... "  
"Hey, we're not finished yet," his dark-skinned wife flashed him a look from beneath cornrowed hair, "we still need to get the cover on, then set up the barbeque, and then..."  
" Okay, I get it... " Tom said in exasperation. He wrapped an arm around his wife's waist. "Drinks first though?"  
She nodded. "Drinks first."  
He pecked her on the cheek, the woman recoiling slyly from the tickle of his moustache.  
"Thanks honey," he said as she went to go inside. "I'll have another beer!"  
"Fancy that, " came her reply.  
Tom limped on over to the wooden picnic table, leaning back and resting his middle-aged paunch on his thighs. He was getting to damn old for this manual labour malarkey. They had considered waiting for the kids to arrive before putting everything together - it would have taken considerably less time - but it hadn't felt right to put them to work. Today was a special day.  
Tom chuckled to himself. "God damn it," he muttered. "Ten damn years. who'd have thought..."  
He absently reached for the remnants of a warm beer, but as his fingers grazed the can a blue wind streaked around the table. He frowned as he realised the beer had vanished.  
"Lost something, old man?"  
Tom grinned as he turned around. a shoulder-tall blue figure stood before him, tauntingly holding the beer between gloved fingers.  
"Now you give that back young man," the sheriff slowly stood and began to approach the figure, hands authoritatively on hips. "You wouldn't want your father to dehydrate now, would you?"  
"Considering that gut you have going on, I might be doing you a favor!"  
"Come here, you cheeky little..."  
Tom and the blue space-hedgehog closed the distance and embraced in a tight hug. Pointed ears tickled his chin, and he felt a prick from very long blue quills, but didn't care. The man was just happy to hug his kid again.  
Today, ten years to the day since becoming a Wachowski, Sonic had come home.

"Jeez, why do you still have that thing?" Sonic teasingly gestured to Tom's face. "It looks like somebody left a turd over your top lip!"  
The sheriff drank from his fresh beer and wiped froth from his moustache. "I think it makes me look dignified," he said defensively.  
"I'm not sure 'dignified' is the correct word," a voice absently sounded from across the table. Tom pointed to its owner, can still in hand.  
"Oh, so the screen-ager's awake!" He said loudly, "Miles, put that thing away and say hello to your mother."  
Yellow ears pricked and blue eyes flickered upwards in surprise after being absorbed in some gadget or another. The eighteen year old fox-boy returned to reality and slipped the device back into it's pouch as Maddie returned from the kitchen with a fresh tray of drinks. She wrapped an arm around the teenager and pecked him on the forehead. She didn't have to lean down far; the yellow fox had grown a hell of a lot these last few years.  
The whole family was now gathered around the table, trading stories about life and drinking. It had been a while since the Mobians last visited home, busy adventuring on their homeworld.  
"Oh, you know... smashing robots, saving the world, defeating evil geniuses... You know, the usual." Sonic winked when the human's had asked what the two had been up to.  
"Well last week I had to write a parking ticket," Tom said, snapping open a fresh beer. "So that was pretty exciting."  
Sonic snorted. "The incredible crime-fighting career of Green Hills' own Road Warrior," the hedgehog said cheekily .  
"How's the car running, Tom?" Miles perked up at the mention of automobiles, eagerly invested in the conversation now that he had no gadjets to distract him.  
"still runs like a dream, kiddo." Tom affirmed. Miles leaned back confidently and folded his arms with a smirk.  
"You know, the offer still stands," he began, " I have my tools with me. While we're home I can-"  
"Tails... " the cop raised a finger, "as much as I appreciate it I don't need any anti-gravity boosters, death rays, or atomic force field generators attached to my car. Not exactly road-legal."  
"Oh come on!!" The fox protested, "it's just a simple internal-combustion engine! with a few slight adjustments I can-"  
"You can fix the radio," Tom said sternly. "That's it. "  
Sonic chuckled to his left, feeding treats to a pair of young golden retrievers - Tony and Bill.  
"Yeah, Tails!" He said, petting the pups. "You know Wachowski Senior can't go too long without his fix of 'old fart ' FM!"  
Tom raised his finger authoritively. "do not," He said with mock seriousness, "speak such slander of the rock and the roll."

The family sat in silence for a moment, just happy to be all together for the first time in months.  
" So, Sonic... " said Maddie mischiecously, pouring herself a glass of wine, "how are things working between you and Amy?"  
"Come on, mom..." Sonic protested, throwing treats for the dogs. "You know there's nothing to 'work between!' she's just a friend! I don't care about any of that relationship stuff, I'm a free hedgehog!" a sly grin crept onto his face. "Tails and Zoey, on the other hand..."  
Miles launched a spray of beer from his lips in a perfect spit-take. _SONIC!!!_  
Evil grins split the humans ' faces, while Sonic looked exceptionally pleased with himself.  
"OooOOOoo!" Maddie cooed, cradling her wine. "who might this 'Zoey ' be then, Tails?"  
The fox extended a finger accusingly at his older brother. "You said you wouldn't tell!"  
Sonic sipped his juice and shrugged. "Gotta break it out sometime, little buddy. You two have been going steady for weeks now!"  
" Come on, kiddo! " Tom leaned over the table, mischievous glint in his eyes. "Now you've got us all hanging!"  
They couldn't see it beneath the white fur of his muzzle, but everybody could tell that the teenager was redder than a smacked ass. He fidgeted with his hands, twin tails swishing side to side.  
"Just some girl back home... Been on a couple of dates I guess... But nothing serious!!! We definitely are not 'going steady', Sonic!!"  
Sonic stuck his tounge out. "They're totally gonna get ma -rried!" he sang.  
Miles wore his most appalled expression.  
"Oh..." Maddie wrapped her arm around her adopted fox-son and smiled . "Our little munchkin's all grown up!"  
Tails clapped his face in both hands and groaned.  
"I hate my life..."

They sat and ate their meals beneath the gazebo as the day wore on, the fur-covered members of the family needing an escape from the sun. The afternoon marched into evening, and those who partook began to turn a little wobbly.  
Maddie ordered the guys to tidy up, though they decided to leave the gazebo up for the next evening. Miles crashed on the sofa, the novice drinker unused to more than one or two drinks at a time. He drooled a little as Maddie kisses him goodnight, then wobbled into the kitchen for more wine. Sonic, ever the teetotaller, laughingly hugged his mother and then retreated upstairs with Tom, heading for the attic.  
Sonic grinned as he entered his childhood room. The old racecar bed he'd slept in for so many years had been packed away, ready for the day any Wachowski grandkids might come to stay (Maddie has demanded that Tails send them pictures of his 'girlfriend', adding further to the Fox's embarrasment), but other than that the room remained the same as it always had. Tom stood beside the hedgehog, a hand rested on his shoulder.  
"It's good to have you back, kid."  
"It's good to be back, donut lord..." Sonic replied happily.  
" How long you panning on staying this time? "  
Sonic shrugged. "Few days, maybe a week... If that's okay, I mean. We don't wanna intrude for too long.  
Tom chuckled. "How could you ever be an intruder in your own home? We love it when you two come to stay!"  
There was a brief pause, as Sonic chewed his lip in thought.  
"Maybe next time..." The hedgehog said inquisitively, "You guys could come to us? Meet everyone back on Mobius? That is, if you're comfortable crashing on an alien planet for a few days?"  
Tom nodded warmly. "would love to, kiddo. We'll see what we can do."  
The two stood in silence, as the night fell, happy to be together again. Then they joined in a tight hug.  
"Love you, dad."  
" Love you, son. "


	2. The Wachowski family's Mobian vacation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Wachowski family prepares to spend their first vacation on their sons ' homeworld.
> 
> Shadow Whipple comes from https://tharkflark1.tumblr.com and is a good boi!

"Well, good morning officer!"  
Sonic grinned. Clad in a pilfered Green Hills Police Department shirt and patrol sunglasses, Sonic stepped through the door and offered a mock salute, box of donuts tucked under one arm.  
"Sheriff Wachowski reporting for duty, maam!"  
Martha, reception officer at the Green Hills station, laughed and waved the hedgehog through.  
"Go on in, son" the female officer said.  
"Thanks, Marth'!"  
She craned her neck as Sonic headed deeper into the station, watching as he zipped down the hallway. It had been a while since she'd seen Green Hills ' famous cryptid.

Sonic grinned as he approached a familiar desk officer.  
"Uncle Wade!"  
Officer Wade Whipple rubbed his eyes and smiled when he saw the new arrival. "Hey there, blue devil! That you?"  
Sonic spread his unoccupied arm wide. "I guess so! Unless some other devilishly handsome blue hedgehog moved into town while I was gone!. He removed a donut from the box and offered it toward Wade.  
"It's great to see you, kid! Tom mentioned you and your kid brother were back in town!" He took the offered donut and frowned, suddenly serious. "How's shadow keepin? He ain't still riding around on that damn motorcycle is he?"  
Sonic chuckled. Wade was talking about his own adopted space hedgehog. "Nope!"  
" Oh thank jesus... " the officer leaned back and rested a relieved hand on his temple. "Thank Christ for that..."  
"He's got a bigger one!"  
"OH MY GOD"  
"And he has rocket boots!"  
" I swear that kid is gonna give me a freaking heart attack... "  
"See you later, Wade!" Sonic laughed as he left the cop to his complaining, heading for the sheriff's office.  
"Tell him to call home for once in his life so I know he ain't dead!" Wade called after him. Sonic raised a thumbs up, and then knocked on the heavy wooden door before entering the office.

sheriff Wachowski jerked awake at the intrusion, having just been enjoying a brief snooze.  
"Hey dad," said Sonic as he stuck a donut in his mouth. He cheerfully plonked the pastries on Tom's desk. " I gob' go'but's."  
"what was that?" Asked the sheriff, stifling a yawn. "You got a boner? I didn't need to know that information, kid."  
Sonic directed a cheeky finger toward the cop as he chewed.  
Tom reached out to grab his own pastry. "What are you doing in my uniform?"  
"You said me and Tails had to wear clothes while we're here!"  
"Uh-huh, true. But why are you wearing my uniform?"  
"Just trying it on for size. I thought you would be proud, father..."  
Tom reached out and grabbed the sunglasses from Sonic's face, clasping the shades shut and flicking the hedgehog on the nose with them.  
"So," the cop bit into his donut. Frosting stuck to his moustache. "What's the story, kiddo?"  
Sonic grinned and shot finger guns at Tom. "Operation Mobian Vacation is good to go!" He beamed, leaning back in his chair. "You guys are welcome any time! You just need to get the vacation days in."  
"Hmph. shouldn't be too hard, your mother and I have plenty of those." The sheriff paused and rubbed his chin in thought. "sonic, are you sure this is... Okay? I know it's your world but your friends... They aren't going to be... Bothered, with humans, right?"  
Sonic waved a hand dismissively.  
"Dad, relax... It's not like they don't know I was raised by a human family! Just don't worry your little primate brain about it! It's gonna be fun!"  
"Okay," Tom extended a finger. "I'm trusting you on this one, son. We both are.  
"When have I ever steered you wrong, father?"  
"What, you want the list? " Tom finished his donut and wiped his face on his hand. "Now go home and get outta that shirt, before I arrest you for impersonating an officer."

"These," Tails said, "are universal translation units."  
The family was gathered in the living room, while Tails gave his presentation. As Tom had promised, he and Maddie had booked their time off. It was the day before their excursion to the boys' home planet, and the eighteen year old fox-person was running them through some final preparations.  
"This bud," he explained, holding an earpiece in his right hand, "receives our language. and this one-" the left hand rose with another earpiece "translates it into English!" He held the two earpieces to his head, where the human ears would be.  
"So, literally in one ear and out the other huh?" Tom joked. Tails and Maddie shared a look of disapproval. Sonic slapped the old man a high five.  
Tails ignored the interruption. "and this device," he placed the earpieces onto the coffee table and now held a walkie-talky like gadget, "receives your speech and converts it directly into Mobian! The whole process is so fast as to be virtually instantaneous. Boom! Instant and convenient inter-species communication!"  
Sonic flashed a thumbs up from the couch as Tails stood proudly. "That's way past cool, little buddy!"  
Tom picked up one of the devices and rotated it in his hands. "Incredible..." The cop said, " it's like something Doctor Spock would invent... "  
"Miles, that's so intelligent!" Maddie rested a hand on the teenage Fox's shoulder.  
"Thanks..." He stammered, embarrassed. "I've actually built stuff like this before, but that didn't go so well ..."  
" We don't talk about it, " added Sonic as he happily fiddled with a baseball.  
"But these devices should work perfectly!" The fox affirmed as The humans flashed questioning glances. "And to prove it, we're going to perform a practical experiment! Both of you take a translation unit..."

Tails handed the humans the translation equipment. They awkwardly set the pieces in their ears and pinned the speakers to their shirts.  
"Okay!" Said Tails, eager to begin. "Sonic?"  
The hedgehog grinned and released a string of non-english words. Almost immediately an almost perfect facsimile of his usual voice echoed in Tom and Maddie's ears.  
"So Tails," the translation said, "I think Tom has a really smelly butt! do you think Tom has a really smelly butt? "  
"I do think Tom has a really smelly butt, Sonic!" Replied the fox, two voices melding almost perfectly. " But I don't think Maddie has a very smelly butt... "  
"Oh no, mom's butt smells divine...."  
Tom chuckled incredulously, looking to Maddie.  
"Do you think it's reasonable for parents to ground their children even after they become adults? "  
His voice crackles from the speaker on his chest, in fluent Mobian tounge.  
"Maddie laughed. "I think grounding your fully-grown kids should be a parental entitlement!"  
Chatter chatter chatter. Instant translation. This was some impressive tech.  
"Success!!" Exclaimed Tails excitedly in English, "a little practice and you won't even register the disparity between the voices!" He began to collect the devices, securing them in a small case on the table.  
"That's some wicked-sick inventing, little bro!" Sonic raised his fist for a bump , which Tails returned.  
"Yeah," Tom agreed , "just like something Doctor Spock would-" "for the last time dad, Spock wasn't a doctor!!! Jeez!!'  
Tom winked at the others as Tails began to reprimand him.  
"Told you I'd get him!"

The senior Wachowskis sat in bed that night, Maddie trying to read while Tom fussed their two retriever pups Tony and Bill. Unable to concentrate, Maddie lowered her book and snuggled into her husband's side.  
"Isn't this exciting?" she squealed, "we're going on vacation... to an alien planet! That is so wild!!!"  
Tom grunted non commitedly.  
Maddie frowned at her husband's response. "What's the matter, baby?" she asked inquisitively. "What you thinkin'?"  
Tom leaned back and sighed, shaking his head.  
"I don't know, Mads..." He replied, "it's just... Sonic's friends... We're going to be the first humans to ever set foot on their world... I just... " he shrugged and smiled worriedly. "I think I'm scared of leaving a bad impression."  
Maddie linked her arm with his. "You mean you think we're going to embarrass the boys," she said matter of factly.  
Tom laughed. "Maybe. It feels like a lot of responsibility either way."  
" There are lots of different species on their world, hon. A couple of hairless apes from the backwater of the galaxy probably won't be anything special to them! "  
"Well. I hope you're right, Mrs Hairless Ape. Because I can't stop worrying. "  
"Try," Maddie smiled and kissed her husband on the lips. "Now let's get some sleep. We have an early start tomorrow."

"Tom! Tom! It's okay! Don't panic!!!"  
Wade Whipple stumbled up the Wachowskis ' driveway with a giant rucksack on his back and a large, heavy looking coolbox. He grinned triumphantly. "I have the beer!"  
"That's great, Wade..." Tom sighed and crunched down the drive to help his best friend with his burden. Wade had insisted on joining the family so that he could 'have a word with that no-good kid of mine.' Tom couldn't refuse - Shadow Whipple had a habit of going AWOL, and Wade was only worried about the rebellious black hedgehog. But Wade's presence only worsened Tom's fears. The pudgy cop wasn't exactly a diplomat, and apparently didn't understand the meaning of 'bare essentials ' either.  
"Is this really necessary?" Tom said, grabbing the coolbox full of booze from his friend. Wade shrugged.  
"Hey, we don't even know if they have alcohol in their world. I'm just being prepared! Besides, I'm gonna need a drink after I get my hands on that damn kid..."  
They set Wade's luggage in the trunk of Tom's truck with the rest of the Wachowskis ' bags. Sonic had suggested bringing the vehicle along; their island destination had plenty of natural roads and places of interest to visit. The humans had worried about frightening the locals by arriving in a huge steel beast, but they'd been reassured such machines weren't uncommon in their world. Tails even had a plane. 

"Here you go, Uncle Wade!" Sonic happily trotted toward the two men, backpack loosely hanging from his shoulders. He held a spare universal translation set in one hand, which he offered to Wade. "This is a universal translator! It'll help you talk to everyone!"  
" Thanks dude! " Wade took the device and gave sonic a rough hug. "where is the little Dexter anyway?"  
"He'll be back soon, he went on ahead to make some last minute preparations..."  
At that, a bright portal blossomed in the middle of the yard, spilling out dazzling light... And one flying yellow fox.  
Tails hovered through the portal and happily fluttered to a landing.  
"Okay!" He clapped his hands, grinning with satisfaction. "Final preparations have been made, welcoming committee has been assembled, and we're ready to -" the smile faltered a little. " Oh yeah, hi Wade. "  
The cop wiggled his fingers in greeting. "Hey little dude! Sonic told me you'd show me how to use this... Uni... Versity... Turbu-lator? Is that right? This thing!"  
"No!" Tails squealed as he went to assist the hapless human. "Don't shake it around! That's sensitive equipment..."  
Tom, Maddie, and Sonic exchanged glances. This was already going well.

Tom fired up engine of the truck, bringing the beast to life. He checked the fuel gauge for the thousandth time and then glanced left as a yellow head ducked into the window.  
"Everybody ready?" Tails enquired, goggles lowered over his eyes, looking like a mad scientist. Maddie squeezed Tom's arm in excitement, and in the rear Sonic jiggled restlessly while Wade fixed his translation device.  
"Yeah! Let's get this vacation started!" Yelled Sonic, pumping his fists into the air and knocking Wade's earpiece flying.  
Tom swallowed nervously. Ready as they'd ever be, he guessed.  
"Ready when you are, Miles."  
Tails flashed a thumbs up and ran a short ways ahead of them, retrieving a golden ring from a pouch on his hip. He threw the ring in a wide motion, and it expanded massively in diameter. Suddenly a gleaming, rippling portal had formed in the Wachowskis ' back yard. A gateway to another world.  
Tom flexed his fingers on the wheel and glanced to his passengers.  
"Okay then people," he said, "time to go where no man has gone before. "  
He kicked the truck into gear and carefully accelerated. Slowly, the front bumper entered the portal, then the hood, then the cab, and the trunk, until finally the vehicle was swallowed by the interdimensional gateway.  
"Dad, that was so lame..." Sonic groaned , as they were instantly transported across time and space to a world on the other side of the universe.


	3. Nice to meet you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Wachowski family vacation begins as Tom and Maddie finally meet 'the rest of the family!' 
> 
> Based primarily on the Sonic movie, with a big helping of Sonic Boom! 
> 
> Shadow Whipple originally by tharkflark1 https://tharkflark1.tumblr.com and their discord.

They'd never got their pictures.  
Whenever Sonic and Tails returned home to Green Hills, every time a little taller and a little more grown up, Tom and Maddie would pester them to bring back pictures from their life on their home planet. They wanted to share in their boy's lives, as any parent would.  
But something would always come up. Sonic would wave a hand dismissively and promise 'yeah yeah, next time,' while Tails would become suddenly absorbed in fiddling with some device, and eventually the humans had just let the topic be. Subsequently Tom and Maddie had very little knowledge of the alien world and the people who lived there. And since it had been decided they were finally going, the boys had kept quiet. They wanted their parents to be surprised.

The truck rumbled and growled as it slipped through the ring portal, tires leaving the hard dirt of the Wachowskis ' driveway, stretching across the Universe, through warped space, and sinking instead into soft sand. Tom feathered the accelerator, driving carefully, and squeezed his eyes shut as a sudden bright light filled the interior of the truck. And then, as suddenly as it has appeared, the light was gone.

"It's okay dad, we're through! You can stop the truck!"  
Sonic's voice chattered excitedly from behind him. Tom hit the brakes, kicked the truck into neutral, and set the parking brake. The engine continued to idly rumble. Tom rubbed his eyes, and took in the environment surrounding the truck.

"Oh my..." whispered Maddie.  
"Dude..." agreed Wade.  
"Welcome..." Said Sonic dramatically, "to Jurassic Park!".

"And you said mine was bad, " muttered Tom.

A long white beach curved for miles before them, lush green jungle heading inland to just the biggest mountain that Tom had ever seen. The mountain was sprinkled with green trees and checkered rock, and soared so far into the orange sky it disappeared into the purple clouds. A wide ocean reached to the horizon, the setting sun framing distant land-masses that floated in the skies of this alien - _alien_ \- world.

Wade chuckled in the back seat, sticking his head out the window. "Damn! This is a freaking paradise!" He leaned back inside the truck and nudged Sonic in the ribs. "Why didn't you tell us more about this place, blue devil?"  
The blue hedgehog playfully punched his uncle in the arm. "It wouldn't have been much of a surprise if I had, would it?"  
"Tom," Maddie hushed, gripping her husband's arm. He followed her gaze as she pointed. "Look."  
Tom swallowed nervously. At the outskirts of the jungle, there sat a small collection of wooden structures. In front of the structures were scattered wooden chairs, tables, and... people.  
Alien. People.

"Tom? Tom!!"  
Maddie gripped her husband's arm tightly, and Tom suddenly realised that his foot had applied pressure to the accelerator. The truck engine roared like an enraged beast, then died down as he swiftly eased off and keyed the ignition.  
Great. He was already making an impression.  
"sorry," he mumbled.  
Behind the truck, Tails fluttered through the portal and skidded to a halt in the sand.

The Wachowski household, illuminated in the bright midday sun of planet Earth, could be briefly seen on the other side of the inter-dimensional gate, a bazillion light years away. Then the ring portal rippled and closed, shrinking down down down into it's original size, and the last view the humans would have of their own homeworld slowly vanished. Tails caught the now tiny golden ring in one swift motion before returning to its pouch. He patted the pouch and happily trotted over to the truck, ducking into the driver's side window.

"We good?" The yellow fox grinned, flashing his set of sharp canines, the goggles over his eyes making him appear slightly maniacal. Tom nodded and turned to address his passengers.  
"Okay then guys, I guess it's time we introduce ourselves."  
"Yeah!!" In a flash, sonic vanished from his seat and was now outside the truck, holding open the passenger side door. He bowed, one hand on his chest like a valet.  
"After you, m'lady!" He winked. Maddie grinned and squeezed her husband's arm suppprtively, then took her adopted son's hand and climbed out of the truck. Tom flexed his sweaty palms on the wheel and glanced back to his friend.  
"come on, Wade. It's time."  
"Hold on," replied his friend, fiddling with his translation equipment. "I'm still trying to figure this thing out..."  
"Oh for Pete's sake... " Tails frustratedly went to help the man with his struggle. Tom sighed, shook his head, then cracked open the door and hopped into the sand.

In all the time that the boys had lived in Green Hills, they had never brought home a picture of their homeworld or the people who lived there. It just... Hadn't happened. They would often bring their friends up in casual conversation, but the humans didn't really know what to expect from their alien hosts.  
And now they were about to meet them in the flesh. so to speak.  
Tom crunched through the sand, a short way behind sonic who happily led his mother by the hand. Wade was still at the truck, Tails desperately trying to help the hopeless cop with his translator.

 _Come on, Wachowski. You can do this._  
Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.  
_This can't be as bad as the time you first met Sonic... you didn't even know about aliens then, and you dealt with it just fine..._  
Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.  
_Oh god, I hope he hasn't told them I shot him with a tranquilizer... relax Wachowski, relax..._  
Crunch. Crunch. Stop.  
The peoples of two different worlds suddenly faced each other in the sand, in deafening silence. Sonic, always one to take charge, zipped in between the humans and set his hands on their shoulders, wearing a broad grin.  
"Guys, I know it's been a long time coming, but I would like you to finally meet... my parents!"

The blue hedgehog then excitedly introduced a pair of brightly coloured individuals to the humans. The first was short and pink, clad in some kind of red dress and tall boots, quills arranged into a shoulder-length bob and held back with a red headband. "This is Amy," Sonic said carefully "my _friend._ " heavy emphasis on 'friend '.  
The pink hedgehog - Amy - nervously broke the silence.  
"Hello... Mr and Mrs... Wachowski?" Two sets of timid voices rang in the humans' translation buds, one in the chittering Mobian tounge and the other in perfect English. Then the young alien woman shook her nerves away and confidently stepped forward, hand raised in an uncannily familiar gesture - a handshake. She now wore a welcoming smile.  
"Welcome to our world, Mr and Mrs Wachowski!"  
" Hello Amy, " Maddie stepped forward and warmly accepted the handshake. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you!"  
Amy grabbed the woman's hand in both of hers and happily shook. "And you, Mrs Wachowski! Sonic has told us a lot about you! I hope we can be good friends!"

With that, the ice was broken. Sonic then introduced Tom to Knuckles, a huge red 'echidna' with massive biceps, as dreadlocks like the Predator. "So... Knuckles, huh?" Tom said, glancing at the creative's huge spikes fists. " Yeah, I can see why they'd call you that. "  
Knuckles frowned and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.  
"Hmm..." The echidna mused , looking the human up and down. "Sonic wasn't kidding. You guys really do look like hairless apes."  
"Yeah, " Tom replied, a sly grin tugging at his cheek, "I guess my son doesn't... Monkey around..."  
Knuckles snorted, Tom grinned, and the two finally shook hands. Tom winced at the Mobian's powerful grip.

"And this," sonic mischievously continued, Placing his hands on the shoulders of a familiar yellow creature in a maroon dress, "is Tail's special friend Zoey!"  
The fox girl's ears flattened a little, but she came forward and smiled sweetly all the same.  
"Hello... " she squeaked, bushy tail flicking behind her. The two humans greeted her warmly.  
"don't worry about Miles," Maddie had chuckled after they chatted a little, "he's currently helping his uncle with some... Technical issues."  
"Oh, well... Tails sure does love his gadgets..." The girl replied, peering at the truck where Tails was still busy troubleshooting the hapless Wade. "He's told me a lot bout Earth technology, it's so fascinating!" Maddie laughed. "Well we brought a few things from home, perhaps we can show you how some of it works while we're here!" " Oh, that would be amazing... " 

Tom moved on as he noticed a familiar black and red hedgehog standing nearby, beside a huge chrome motorcycle, arms folded cooly over a biker jacket and thick black shades obscuring his eyes. A purple leather-clad individual stood beside him, hands on hips.  
"Hey there, Shadow ," Tom stuck his hands in his pockets as he approached. "Long time no see, huh?"  
"Sheriff Wachowski," the hedgehog muttered , "it is... agreeable to see you again."  
" I hope you've been keeping outta trouble kid, " said Tom, thinking back to a teenage black hedgehog tear-assing around Green Hills on a dirt bike.  
Shadow huffed. "I neither seek nor avoid trouble, Sheriff." He said, acting aloof. "Trouble simply finds me." he jerked a gloved thumb to the purple figure beside him. "This is Rouge, my aquaintence." A blue lidded eye winked and sharp teeth flashed a sly grin. "Hello, Sheriff." a sultry female voice sounded in Tom's earpiece.

Tom had no idea what this one was. The female - he could only assume female - Mobian look as though somebody has taken a cat's head, a bat's wings, and stuck them to the body of a female human.  
A well-endowed female human.  
Tom raised an eyebrow and pointed between the two.  
"So, kid. Are you two... Uh... Y'know?"  
" _Aquaintence,_ Sheriff. " growled the black hedgehog.  
Rouge just laughed and shifted her weight into the other foot.  
"don't worry doll, I'm not exactly Shadow's type."  
Shadow angrily extended a finger toward the female.  
"Another word outta you bat, and I'll-"  
"SHADOW WHIPPLE!!!"

Behind the shades, Shadow's eyes widened in alarm. Everybody in the vicinity stopped what they were doing and watched as a large human in a Hawaiian shirt angrily stomped up the beach, followed by a fretful fox-boy. It appeared that Tails had fixed Wade's translator.  
An evil grin split Rouge's lips.  
"Oh GOD," Shadow groaned, bad-boy persona instantly evaporating. "What the hell is he doing here?!? "  
"What in God's name is this?!?" Wade crunched to a halt in his sandals, arms outstretched toward the chrome motorcycle. "I thought I told you to never ride one of these things again! didn't I make myself clear?! "  
"DAD, c'mon!! " Shadow whined, suddenly a fifteen year old kid again defending his dirtbike. "I'm an adult now, you can't tell me what to d-OW!!"  
Shadow protested as Wade pinched a pointed ear between finger and thumb and dragged the hedgehog away for a scolding, overprotective parent mode engaged. Tom shook his head and chuckled at the display.  
Rouge, wearing an expression of absolute delight, looked to the Sheriff.  
"Shadow... Whipple?" The 'bat' sounded as though she'd won the lottery.  
Tom grinned. "Yep. Mr Edgelord's adopted surname, if you can believe it."  
"Oh my, this is _precious..._ " she smiled devilishly. "Maybe having humans around won't be so bad after all..." she began to leave, heading toward the squabbling Wade and Shadow. "I have got to see this." She slyly looked the human over and winked. "See you later, handsome!"

Tom blushed furiously as she left.  
"Hey dad! You coming? We're heading inside for food!" Sonic waved him over as the other Mobians began leading the rest of the family into a nearby hut. Tom shook his head in disbelief, wondering how he, a small-town sheriff, was now standing on an alien world. He cast a look toward the horizon, then turned and went to join the others.

This was going to be a very... _interesting_ vacation. He was suddenly glad that Wade had packed all that beer.


	4. Party time

Tom cradled a beer in both hands, awkwardly sat on a too-small sofa, while a pair of sharp blue eyes observed him intensely. Beside him, a ragged brown creature in tattered jungle garb glared at him with shrewd, mistrusting eyes.

The creature's name was Sticks. She was a badger. and right now she was driving Tom insane.

"Where's your fur?" The female Mobian asked accusingly.

"Humans... Don't have fur." Replied the cop.

"Why not."

Tom shrugged in exasperation. 

"I dunno, I guess we... Just evolved not to need it?"

"Why are your ears so weird?"

"Weird? Hey.."

"What's this stuff on your upper lip?"

" That's called a moustache... "

"And This stuff on your head?"

" That's hair. which is kinda like fur I guess, but... "

"Oh, so one moment you claim to have evolved out of having fur, but then you say you still have fur? Okay." 

The badger remained stock still for a moment, before suddenly launching herself at Tom with a battle cry. Before he could react, brown claws were dug into the flesh of his head as she gripped his face in both hands, and wild eyes bored into his.

"What the-"

"What's your secret invasion plan?!? where is your base of operations?!?" The badger screeched.

" Christ lady, what're you-"

"QUIET!!!!" In an instant, the crazy badger-girl held open his left eye with a pair of claws and produced small flashlight, with which she proceeded to shine in his eyeball.

"Sticks, put my dad down..." Sonic ambled over to the source of the commotion, a can of soda in one hand and a beer in the other. The badger named Sticks angrily hopped down from Tom's torso and extended a claw at the blue hedgehog.

"You brought aliens here!!!" She screamed, causing sonic to recoil in fear a little. "How could you be so careless?!?"

"Sticks, my family might be from another planet but they're hardly the beachhead of an invading army..."

"How do you know they're your real family? How do you know you weren't abducted and had false memories implanted in your brain to make you think your life was real to trick you into bringing them here so they could steal our blood cells??!?"

Tom gestured helplessly to Sonic, the meaning clear. 'help me out here, dude.'

The blue hedgehog shook his head.

"Sticks, look. Just... Trust me on this, okay? Please? I know I should have explained to you but it's their first time on Mobius, they're just here to visit, and they won't be here too long. Okay?"

The badger screwed her eyes and folded her arms, glaring daggers at the hedgehog.

"How long?"

"Ah-haaa..." Sonic began sheepishly running a hand through his quills. "Two, uh... two, uhh... Two weeks?"

"TWO WEEKS?!?"

Tom and Sonic flinched, and the earpieces of Tom's translation device squealed at the badger's high pitched outrage.

Sticks appeared as though she were about to explode, but a pleading look and an 'aw shucks" expression from Sonic seemed to ease her a little.

"Okay," she gave a slight nod of her striped head, before glaring at Tom. "But I got my eye on you, buster!"

Sticks angrily pointed two fingers to her own eyes, then to Tom, and then stormed out of the building.

The two Wachowskis exchanged a glance, then simultaneously breathed a sign of relief.

"sorry dad," said Sonic, setting himself on the couch and handing Tom the beer. "I guess we should have told her, huh?"

"You didn't think that would be a good idea beforehand?" Replied Tom, snapping open the can.

"Well we were going to... But Sticks can be a little volatile, and... Y'know..."

"What, you thought you'd leave me to deal with the fallout?"

Sonic grinned innocently.

"Well at least it's over with now, right? and you got to meet another one of my friends!"

"Oh yeah, I got to meet a crazy space badger who thinks I'm gonna lay eggs in her chest and suck her brains out. Lucky me."

"At least everybody's having fun, dad." Sonic shrugged.

Tom sipped his beer and looked around the shack.

"Yeah kid. At least there's that."

After the initial round of introductions, the whole gang had retreated into Sonic's shack for what the pink hedgehog girl - Amy - had referred to as 'refreshments'.

And what had started as more of a tentative cultural exchange had developed into a full blown family party.

A set of portable speakers sat on a round table, Tom's cell phone nestled inside, blaring out classic rock and country tunes. The beer cooler that Wade had brought along sat open in the middle of the shack, chilled beers and wines clustered inside. and Mobians and humans alike gathered around the small single-floor shack, talking, dancing, and drinking.

Wade's fears of there being no alcohol on Mobius had been silenced. Upon spying the shlubby human carrying a strange metal can filled with liquid, knuckles - the muscular echidna - had asked what the drink was. After Wade cheerfully explained, Knuckles had grinned and then vanished for a few minutes. He returned with two huge wooden barrels, one on each shoulder, and set them down beside the beer cooler.

"Echidna juice!" The large Mobian triumphantly explained, "this'll make yer' fur drop out!"

"Is it... Safe for human consumption?" Wade had cautiously asked, when Knuckles poured him a wooden tankard filled with the stuff.

Knuckles had stared into space for a good few moments, eyes beginning to drift apart, when he shrugged indifferently.

"I dunno," he said, before tilting his tankard back and draining it in a single go.

Apparently it was safe for human consumption, because Wade was on his fourth, dancing around with Knuckles and pretending he was Edward Van Halen.

Shadow, Wade's adopted hedgehog son, sat nearby, one hand clasped to his temple as he watched his human parent wobble around with the echinda. Rouge, the bat-woman, smiled broadly and clapped along to the music.

While Wade and Knuckles were busy performing, Maddie was stood over with Tails and Zoey, arms folded over her denim jacket and glass of wine in hand as she chatted with the two teens. As she'd promised, the human woman had retrieved an example of Earth technology - her smartphone, which was currently scrolling through pictures of Tails as a child.

The fox was becoming beyond embarrassed.

The two females cooed and awed as Maddie's finger swiped through each photo, while Tails unhappily clutched a can of soda.

"And this is Miles after he had his first bath with us..."

"Maddie, please..." Groaned the eighteen year old , "is this really necessary?"

"And this is when he fell asleep at the beach..'

" That is so cute! " Zoey squealed, thoroughly enjoying herself.

"Maddie..." 

"And this is him in a Cozy Coupe'! He was so grumpy when he realised it didn't have an engine..."

"Mom!!!"

" And you see this little suit? with the teddy bear ears? It's actually for human toddlers, but it was just the right size so we bought it him to keep warm... "

Zoey made a sound of delight too high pitched for human ears, while Tails resignedly deposited his soda on a nearby table without so much as taking a sip.

"That's it!" The fox threw his hands in the air, thoroughly done. "I'm going to kill myself!"

with that, Tails made a beeline for the alcohol, leaving the two women to continue their bonding session.

Sonic and Tom sat and watched the party in silence, happy to just observe. 

Tom smiled to himself. The scene reminded him of all the times he and Maddie had invited friends over, years and years ago, even before Sonic and Tails had come into their lives. When they were young they would just sit and drink and laugh and dance and talk, long into the early hours of the morning when the sun began to rise again.

He remembered those times fondly. And it was bizarre - incredibly, extremely, unprecedentedly bizarre - that he was now doing the same on a faraway planet, with hi two alien sons and their friends. It was beyond imagination.

Tom turned in the couch, a sudden question burning in his brain that he must ask Sonic - but caught himself before he could ask it. Beside him, clutching his can of soda, the blue hedgehog's eyes were brimming with tears.

"Hey, what's the matter kiddo? " the sheriff reached over and laid a hand on his son's shoulder, concerned. "You okay?'

Sonic sniffled and wiped his nose on the back of his hand, holding back a sob.

"Yeah," the hedgehog said, while wet tears darkened his lids. He shook his head and smiled . "It's just... this... It's everything I ever wanted. It's all so... Perfect..."

Tom glanced back to the rest of the party. 

He watched as Wade and Knuckles - instant besties - fell about laughing and mimicking each other's dance moves, pair of inebriates that they were. By now Rouge had joined in, glass of wine on one hand, fluidly gyrating between the two males as the music played.

Shadow sat alone and brooding, sulking by himself, before Wade plonked beside him and wrapped an arm around his hedgehog son. The two appeared to have a brief conversation, before embracing in a short hug. 

Maddie and Zoey chatted between themselves, snatching quick glances at Tails as he assisted Amy and Sticks in the kitchen with the next wave of snacks. The women were undoubtedly discussing the true nature of the fox-girl's relationship with the eighteen year old Wachowski. Tom briefly wondered if one day he would have small yellow grandchildren running around.

Finally, upon knocking back the rest of his beer and setting the can down, Tom looked out of a nearby window into the night sky of Mobius. Unfamiliar stars twinkled around a strange moon, and beyond that, the edge of a galaxy yet undiscovered by humans smeared across the sky.

Tom couldn't help but wonder what was happening back home in Green Hills, right now, all of that incredible distance away.

"Yeah kid," the sheriff said, wrapping his son in a hug. " It sure is. Perfect. "


	5. Day out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Wachowskis take a trip to legendary place called The Mystic Forests. Things don't go as planned.

It started as just a normal day. Well, as normal as any day vacationing on the far side of the universe with your space-animal children and their friends could be.

Tom woke, climbing from his sleeping bag with a huge yawn, and proceeded to wallop his head on a low-hanging beam.

"God dammit!!!" The human screwed his eyes shut and rubbed his forehead. "That's gonna leave a mark..."

Tom carefully left the spare room of the shack where sonic lived, still unused to moving around a living space built for people significantly shorter than he was. He made his way to a small kitchen, where a dark-skinned woman and a short pink hedgehog were busily preparing food.

Tom wrapped his arm around the woman and smooched her on the cheek.

"Good morning, honey!"

" Tom, don't surprise me like that! I'm chopping fruit! Do you want me to lose a finger? "

"Even if you chopped off all your fingers, I'd still love you..."

Maddie held a knife up mock-threateningly.

"Be careful boy," she smiled, "before I decide to chop off something else!"

The married couple shared a kiss, and Tom turned to their companion.

"Hello, Amy!" The human smiled at the pink hedgehog woman. "Nice day, huh?"

The hedgehog smiled back at him, in bewilderment. Tom raised an eyebrow at her expression.

"You, uh... You okay Amy?"

The hedgehog began chattering in a language that sounded to Tom's ears like a record being played backwards and sped up. Tom stared at her, puzzled.

Amy repeated herself, this time pointing to his chest, and then to Maddie's, where a black radio-like device sat pinned to her denim jacket.

"Oh right..." The penny suddenly dropped. "The translator... dammit, I totally forgot!"

Maddie rolled her eyes and smiled at the pink hedgehog. 

"Tom says good morning, and that he's sorry for being a dumbass."

There was a slight pause as Maddie's words were translated into Mobian tounge, then the hedgehog girl grinned and shook her head. she uttered a single two -syllable word.

Tom looked to his wife.

"What did she say?"

Maddie just leaned over and pecked him on the cheek.

"You don't wanna know!"

..............................................

The whole day had been planned out. Today, third day of their vacation on the planet Mobius, the Wachowskis were heading on a trip to somewhere called the Mystic Forests - 'where dreams are made reality, and wishes come to life!!!' As sonic had dramatically put it.

"That so?" Tom dryly replied as he hefted a huge basket of food into the truck. "Then when we get there I'm gonna wish you'd get off your ass and do some heavy lifting."

Sonic grinned at his human father from the comfort of a deck chair, raising a can of soda in salute.

"You seem to be doing a great job yourself there, donut lord!"

" I'll do a great job on you in a moment, you cheeky little... "

It was yet another scorching hot day on the paradise of Sonic's island home, the mid-morning sun beating down. Humans and Mobians alike were gathered around the cluster of shacks, sunbathing, swimming, or in Wade Whipple's case, bullshitting.

"I was surrounded, ten of them, with no way out..." He said intensely , gesturing around at a crowd of imaginary thugs. Knuckles, the muscular red echidna, leaned over their shared table lapping up every word.

"So what did you do?!?" The echidna eagerly asked the overweight cop, eyes wide and claws digging into the wood of the table.

"Well, I don't really remember..." Wade replied, "the training kicked in, y'know? All I know is that they came at me, one at a time, and in the end they were down... and I was left standing."

"That. Is. So. Cool."

Wade smirked and leaned back in his chair, arms folding over his gut. 

"All part of being a police officer, my friend."

Knuckles appeared to think for a moment, brow furrowed.

"Why did they come at you one at a time?" The echidna said quizzically, "wouldn't it make more sense to attack all at once?"

Wade 's mouth flapped open, but he was saved from pulling a reply out his ass by a low brooding voice.

"Knuckles..." Shadow grumpily called from his shelter beneath a parasol, "he's making it up. In all the years he's been a cop he hasn't been in a single fight. Green Hills isn't that kind of town."

Wade turned outraged to his adopted hedgehog son.

"Excuse me! Are you saying I make things up to look impressive?"

"Dad, you couldn't win a pillow fight. Never mind a one-on-ten bout with a gang of nineteen-eighties movie thugs."

"Well I think it's fascinating," came a smoky female voice. Bathing on the sand, rouge dropped her shades and smiled at the cop. "I'd love to hear more of your stories, detective! "

Wade blushed, not bothering to correct her.

"Stay out of this, bat!" snapped Shadow. "Don't encourage him!"

"Whatever you say, Shadow... " the flirtatious bat smirked, "...Whipple..."

Shadow groaned in despair and leaned his head on the table.

..................................................

"Okay guys, we're going!" Maddie called to the group, as she and Tom crunched through the sand in their flip flops. They received cheery waves from Wade Rouge and Knuckles, while Shadow lightly banged his head against the table.

Maddie threw a travel bag into the truck and turned to her husband.

"I'll go find the boys," she said. Tom nodded and wiped sweat from his brow with a bare wrist, having opted for a sleeveless shirt today due to the heat.

"Tell them to be ready in five minutes," replied the sheriff .

Maddie chuckled and headed toward a large structure with the nose of a red biplane poking out of open rectangular doors. She entered the shade of the building and cupped her hands around her mouth.

"Guys?" she called, noticing tools and machinery scattered about the plane. " Come on, time to go!'

There was a sudden flash of blue and orange, and suddenly both her boys were stood before her. Sonic stood with hands on hips, while Tails leaned cockily beside the red plane. 

"Finally!" Huffed the blue hedgehog, gesturing wide. " We thought you guys were gonna take all day! "

"We would have been there and back by now!" Added Tails, adjusting his flight goggles. " humans... So slow... "

Maddie smiled and opened her arms, both boys embracing her in a hug. The family might tease one another mercilessly, but they were beyond happy to be finally spending time together on the kids' home planet.

"Come on guys," Maddie stroked the shorter creatures between the ears and they turned to leave. "Lets' go."

As they left, Maddie rapped a knuckle on the wing of the plane.

"And later you two can explain just where the hell you got this!"

...............................................

The Mystic Forests sure lived up to their name.

The Wachowskis marvelled as they walked through a thick jungle of blues, greens, and purples. Exotic alien plant life writhed around, glowing spores danced in the air, and the trees reached above their heads to create a natural sieve that bled beams of sunlight through. 

It was as though they were on another planet. Well, another-other planet.

Tom and Maddie walked alone, hand in hand, along a natural path that had been worn into the brush. The boys had become restless and ran ahead on one of their races, the humans allowing it so long as they met back at the truck in a half hour. Tom and Maddie would follow the path back.

The Mystic Forests. Tom wondered where the name had come from.

"Isn't this just amazing?" Maddie said, linking her arm with his. " Just a few days ago we were back home in Montana, and now... "

"I know," said Tom, craning his head back to look up at the trees. "And here we are, other side of the universe, on vacation with our alien kids. Hard to believe , right?"

"That's an understatement!" Maddie laughed, as the path broadened into a wide clearing filled with yellow flowers.

"Oh my gosh Tom, look at these!" She plucked a flower from the ground. It looked like a sunflower , but the sharp triangular petals appeared to be shifting... rotating somehow. Tom smiled, taking the flower and inserting it in Maddie's hair.

"There you go," he chuckled , "now you're a real flower child!"

Maddie playfully smacked his hand away and straightened the flower in her hair. She took her hands in his, and they took a moment to appreciate the sight around them. It was the first time they'd been alone in months. Tom sighed. Maddie ran a finger over his forehead, sensing his mood shifting. "What's the matter, baby?" she said, looking into his blue eyes with her deep brown, "what you thinking?" Her husband shrugged, an expression of remorse on his face.

"I don't know, it's just..." He sighed, looking for the words. "We missed so much of the kids' lives. Before they came to us, their time spent here... I wish... I don't want this to end. I just want to be as close to our kids as possible, be a part of this world with them..." He shook his head and grinned sheepishly . "I guess that sounds stupid..."

"No, baby..." Maddie smiled and cupped her hands around his face . "I want the same thing. But y'know, all children have to make their own lives some day? It doesn't mean we can't be there for them."

Tom laughed. "Maybe when we're retired we could get a vacation house here."

Maddie smooched him on the lips. "Maybe," the dark woman said. Then she turned and trotted a ways ahead, flashing him a bright grin.

"Come on, we still have time to see more of the forest before we..."

Maddie's words became mumbled, weary, and her eyes began to unfocus. She began to sway, as though she had trouble standing up.

"Maddie?" Tom became worried. "You okay?"

Her mouth flapped open.

"Tom, I don't feel so..."

Tom watched in horror as his wife violently collapsed to the ground.

"MADDIE!!! "

Tom tried to run to the aid of his wife, an icicle speared through his heart, but found that he couldn't move. His limbs were like lead, his vision swam, and his brain was clouding with a thick fog.

Oh god. Had they been poisoned by this place?

Tom stumbled like a zombie as the fog closed around him, fighting helplessly against the paralysis that was claiming his body.

"Ma... ddie...."

With that, he collapsed to the ground.

Two humans lay unconscious in the middle of the Mystic Forests, a place legends claimed dreams and wishes came true. 

Moments later, the two humans were gone.

.............................................

He didn't remember getting up that day... or did he? What day even was it? where was he?

Thoughts clumsily tumbled around his brain as consciousness slowly returned. He remembered... vacation... Mobius... Mystic Forests?

That's right the kids had wanted to take them to the Mystic Forests, a place of Mobian legend. The boys had gone on a run, leaving them alone, and then...

Nothing.

Sore eyes slowly opened, and he laughed dumbly as his brain registered he was on his side. Groggily he raised himself into a sitting position, the effort taking vastly more than it should.

Damn, was he drunk? It sure felt like it.

Slowly, unsurely, Tom climbed to his feet. He laughed as he staggered, almost losing his balance. He knew he should be more worried than he was, but a thick fog was clouding his brain, and he couldn't help but find hilarity in his own drunken movements and the... fuzzy feeling that surrounded him. Fuzzy. Like static electricity.

He idly scratched at the sleeve of his brown jacket, his attention drawn towards a black figure a short distance over the field of golden flowers. He recognised fur. He recognised quills.

Shadow?

What would Tom's 'nephew ' be doing here?

"Hey," he called, half- laughing. He unsteadily began to approach the black hedgehog, grinning inanely. "Shadow? That you, kid?"

GOD, Tom felt strange. Like somebody had wrapped him in an electric blanket.

The grumpy black hedgehog himself seemed out of it, tentatively stepping through the flowers barefoot, hands outstretched as though he had trouble seeing.

Tom felt a pang of worry. He suddenly wondered where Maddie was.

" Shadow? Hey... " Tom's head span and he fought back a wave of nausea as his head began to clear. "Have you seen Maddie..."

"T... Tom?"

Tom's ears pricked as he recognised the sound of his wife's voice. He took a look around the clearing, seeing her nowhere.

Wait. His ears did what now?

"Tom... I don't... Feelsogood..."

A sudden ice pick had wedged itself in Tom's chest. His ears involuntarily moved again. slowly, the human raised his hands to the sides of his head, where his ears should be, to check the movement.

No ears. Just hair. Hair where there hadn't been before.

"Tom..." 

Suddenly he didn't feel so drunk anymore.

The black hedgehog before him staggered and raised its head.

Suddenly Tom was stone cold sober.

The black - female - hedgehog looked right at him with confused, bleary, heartbreakingly familiar brown eyes. a yellow flower hung from her spines.

Tom Wachowski swallowed hard, and an anchor dropped in his stomach as the jet-black hedgehog spoke.

"... Tom?"

with his wife's voice.

"M... Maddie?"

"Thomas... "

"Mads... "

In the field of yellow flowers, where before had been two humans, two hedgehogs - one jet-black, the other brown and peach - stood and stared at one another for several agonising moments.

And then they both completely lost their shit.


	6. Thomas and Madeline Wachowski the Hedgehogs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom and Maddie find themselves in a hairy situation

"Jesus Christ!!"

"Tom?!"

_"JESUS CHRIST!!!"_

"Tom!!!"

Tom stumbled backwards as the black hedgehog frantically screamed his name. He tripped and fell on his ass, and he yelped as some _thing_ at the base of his spine twinged the wrong way.

The fog in his brain had lifted, and for the first time he properly paid attention to his hands. Five digits, four fingers and a thumb on each hand, but with paw pads on the palms and fingers, and brown hair coating the outer hands, running up his wrists and all the way up his shoulders.

What he had thought was his brown jacket, that he hadn't even worn that day, was fur. Thick brown fur, covering his entire body.

The black hedgehog with the slick-back quills before him was stood, padded hands outstretched, eyes shut tight and busy performing stress-relieving breathing exercises. Tom cried out as her eyes flashed open, glaring at him in shock, and he scrambled back on his ass as the black hedgehog with Maddie's eyes stumbled toward him.

"Tom?!"

"Maddie?!?"

" Oh my god... "

"I'm freaking out..."

"Tom, please, just..."

"I'm freaking out!"

"TOM!!!"

"I'M FREAKING OU - OW!!!!"

Tom squealed as the black hedgehog smacked him across the face and grabbed him roughly by the chest fur.

"BREATHE WITH ME, WACHOWSKI!!"

"Wait wh-"

"I SAID BREATHE!!!!!"

Tom allowed her to take his head in her hands, and followed her breathing. In through the nose... out through the mouth... in through the nose... out through the mouth...

They stayed that way for the moment, the two hedgehogs just gripping to each other for support.

Eventually, Tom found it in him to speak again.

"M... Mads??"

She nodded, frightened brown eyes meeting his.

"Yeah baby, it's me." 

"But... BUT..."

"Please!!"

The black hedgehog - Maddie - held a thumb and finger close together, claws milimeters apart.

"Tom, I am THIS close to losing my absolute freaking mind, so I NEED you to help keep it together, okay?"

Tom nodded, feeling his hair - Oh god, not _hair_ \- shake with the motion. He took a deep, shaking breath, and then motioned between the two with a hand.  
"How... how did _this_ happen?!"

" Well... what's the last thing we can remember? " Maddie said, doing her best to remain calm. "What were we doing before... before?"

Tom thought hard, memory hazy. He'd woken up... They followed the boys to the forest... and then... and then... 

He shook his head frantically.

"I don't remember!"

"I don't remember either!"

"What are we gonna do?!?"

" I don't know!!! "

"Aaagh!"

"Aaagh!!!"

.................................................

Maddie let go of Tom's head and set herself in the ground in a cross-legged position. Tom shifted around on his butt, careful to accommodate his new... appendage.

"What do we do?!" He gestured at his wife, "We can't go back to Earth like... Like this!!!" 

"Oh, you don't say?" Maddie grimaced at him, with a glint of sharp white canines. "You think people will notice?"

"Don't," the brown hedgehog rested his head in his hands, fingers running over messy quills. "Just... don't, Mads..."

"Okay," breathed Maddie. We said we'd meet the kids at the truck, right?"

"Right?"

"So that's what we'll do. Miles is super intelligent, he can figure a way out of this."

"Yeah... yeah, that's a great idea Mads..." He allowed himself a sheepish grin. "But I don't remember the way back..."

The black hedgehog paused thoughtfully for a moment.

"Tom?"

"Yeah?"

"Neither do I."

The brown hedgehog groaned and flopped onto his back in despair.

...............................................

"Where the heck are they? They said they'd meet us here about now..."

Tails paced anxiously while his brother lay on the hood of the truck, absently playing with a baseball.

"You know humans," Sonic replied, "Take freaking forever to get anything done. No wonder they haven't developed interstellar travel yet."

"Maybe they got lost? The Mystic Forests' a big place..."

"Tails, relax. If they aren't back in fifteen minutes we'll go look for them, okay?"

"Still... I hope they come back soon... "

The yellow fox hitched himself up to sit beside his brother, fiddling with one of his twin tails. He looked back at the huge forest before them.

"Do you believe the rumours about this place? Y'know, about wishes and dreams and all that?"

Sonic shrugged.

"I dunno, maybe. There's a lot of supernatural crap on this planet we still don't understand. Still, apparently these legends only happen like... once in a millennium or something. I think."

The blue hedgehog raised himself into a sitting position beside his brother.

"I don't know," he continued, "I just think it's a real neat place to run around."

"Ha, you would!"

Sonic ruffled the top of his brother's head.

"You're just jealous you'll never be as fast as me, little buddy!"

Tails grinned and smacked the hand away.

"One day, Sonic. You'll see."

The sudden crackle of leaves and the hiss of hushed voices caused both boy's ears to swivel toward the forest. They exchanged a quick glance and hopped from the truck.

.............................................

"Sonic? Miles?"

Maddie's voice sounded from the nearby bushes.

"Mom?" sonic called, curious. "Mom? Dad? Is that you?

"Yeah," replied Tom's voice. "Yeah kid, it's us."

"What are you doing in there? Playing hide n' seek? Because you're not doing such a great job..."

Sonic smirked and stepped forward to meet his parents, but their frantic voices stayed his feet.

"No!"

"Sonic, stop!!"

Sonic shot a bewildered look back to Tails, who shrugged.

"What's going on?" Sonic cautiously enquired, furrowing his brow. 

"Sonic, Miles, just stay right where you are, " called Tom from their hiding place. "We'll come to you, okay? We just need you to stay right there."

Something wasn't right. The humans didn't sound like they were playing around.

"Are you guys alright?" Tails called, coming to stand beside Sonic.

"We're perfectly fine, baby... "

"We're going to come out now boys... Just promise us you'll try to stay calm, can you do that for us? "

"Yeah... Sure..."

"We love you, kids! Just remember!"

Then, hand in hand, two hedgehogs Sonic had never seen, but instantly recognised, tentatively stepped from the forest.

...............................................

It took a moment to register, but when it did Sonic's mouth flopped open and he tightly gripped his brother's arm for support. 

"Tails..." Sonic said slowly, mouth dry. "What are we looking at?"

Tails didn't respond, didn't even move, just stared wide-eyed as his brain ran through scenarios that could have resulted in... this.

Tom and Maddie came to a stop in front of the kids, wearing expressions of pure dread. Tom awkwardly tried to slip a hand into his pockets, realised he had no pockets, and instead gestured hand around the area.

"Well..." He began, awkward as hell. " I guess you could say this planet is growing on us... "

Sonic pointed a finger to the two hedgehogs.

"Mom? Dad?"

"Yeah... yeah it's us, kid."

" ......... What the HELL happened to you?!? "

"Oh sweetie, it's okay..."

Sonic reflexively recoiled as Maddie stepped forward, padded hands outstretched to comfort her son.

"Mom?!"

"It's okay, it's okay..."

Maddie took him in her arms and reached up - _up_ \- to stroke his ears, cooing reassuringly.

"Mom, how... how did... "

"We don't know honey, we just kinda... woke up this way..." Maddie gripped her son tightly and looked into his eyes. "We aren't hurt, we're completely fine. Just a little...different, is all... "

While Maddie comforted sonic, Tails had taken to thoughtfully circling Tom as though he were a science experiment, scanning him with a small device he produced from a hip pouch. Tom was beginning to feel more than a little self conscious.

"complete human to hedgehog metamorphosis..." Tails scratched at his chin thoughtfully, checking the beeping device in his hand. "Fascinating..."

"Yeah kid," Tom huffed, less than pleased with the Fox's apparent lack of concern. "Fascinating. Really. a complete and utter mind fu-"

"THOMAS!!!" Maddie turned and snapped at her husband, causing the brown hedgehog to shrink and flatten his ears.

"Miles," said Maddie, bringing the youngest Wachowski back to reality. " Is there anything you can do to fix this? "

Tails looked at her as though she'd asked if he could fly her to the moon to pick up some cheese.

"Maddie... Mom..." Tails drew a deep breath and licked his lips, thinking how best to explain. "I don't even know what 'this' is. I have never seen anything like this. According to these readings, you have been this way your entire life!" he tapped the device in his hand.

Maddie continued. "Do you have anything back at your lab that could help?"

"I'm an engineer, mom. I can build a functioning battlemech out of used pinball machine parts, but this is something entirely unprecedented. I wouldn't even know where to begin! "

"But going home is a start, right?" Sonic piped up, coming back around to his senses. "We get back and start figuring this out! "

"Yeah... that's gonna be a problem..." Tom patted at his thighs, where his pants pockets should be, and shrugged. "We couldn't find our clothes... and the keys to the truck were in my pants... "

"You two have super speed," added Maddie. "And Miles can fly... but on foot, it'll take us days to get back... "

The blue hedgehog and the yellow fox shared a glance, then looked back to their parents.

"I think we can figure something out," said Sonic with a slight grin.

..............................................

Tom had been hang gliding before, and he had been towed behind a speedboat on a parachute. But this... this was like hanging onto a supersonic fighter jet without a safety harness.

"If you drop me," he yelled upwards, "I'm cutting you out of the inheritance! "

Tom's arms ached as he desperately clutched Tails' hands, dangling beneath the yellow fox as he flew over the jungle below at what felt like mach speed.

Tails grinned and shouted back.

"Tom, I've done this a million times, with loads heavier than you! Especially now that you've lost some weight! "

Tom let out a groan, the sound drowned out by the thrumming of two hyper velocity fox tails rotating behind him. He wished he had a pair of flight goggles like Tails. They were flying so fast his eyes were streaming, and his new fur was being plastered to his face.

Looking below, he could just make out a blue blur zipping along, dirt kicking up behind it and a black bundle held tightly in its arms.

Tom swallowed his nerves. Next time he'd take the bus.

..........................................

"Hey, you okay mom? "

Sonic held out a worried hand as he set his adoptive mother back on her feet. she clutched a hand to her head and teetered unsteadily in place.

"I... never want to do that again... " the black hedgehog groaned, looking as though she was about to coat the entire beach with vomit. Beside her, Tom sunk onto his knees in the sand while Tails fluttered to a landing.

"Oh, thank you..." The brown hedgehog lay himself in the sand, wanting to never know anything other than solid ground ever again. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou..."

"Dad, you might not want to do that," Sonic pointed to the grovelling hedgehog, " you'll get sand all in your... uh, fur... "

Tom continued to hug the planet while Maddie retched and voided her stomach, and the two brothers shared a look of despair.

............................................

"Okay, so who's going to break the news?"

Tails stood before the sorry group. Sonic was standing hands on hips, wearing an 'I told you so ' look as Tom scratted at himself. Maddie was doubled over, hands on knees, fur coated with sweat and hacking globs of mucus into the sand. Not quite the Incredibles.

They weren't far from home, and the time was drawing near that they would have to explain... everything.

Sonic raised a hand. "I vote one incredibly handsome and charming blue hedgehog!"

Tails sighed. At least his brother had regained his composure.

"No, I think the person with the highest IQ should handle this one... " Tails said, shaking his head. He began to stomp toward the shacks, where the others would be waiting, undoubtedly oblivious to the events of the day. "Stay nearby! I'll call you! " he yelled back to his family. How the heck was he going to explain this?

.............................................

"Miles!" 

As he rounded the corner, headed for the usual gathering space outside Sonic's shack, a familiar yellow figure wrapped her arms around him and began pecking his cheek.

"Zoey?" 

"You're back early! " the female fox said, leaning back in his arms and gazing into his eyes. "Did you have fun?"

"Oh.. Uh... Yeah, fantastic... " Tails awkwardly pushed away from Zoey's embrace, mind preoccupied. "I'll... uh, see you around..."

He didn't see the upset expression he left on the fox-girl's face as he continued toward the others.

............................................

By the look of things, Wade and Knuckles were having a weight lifting competition, while Rouge gleefully judged with a glass full of wine. knuckles stood hands on hips, while Wade squatted with his hands wrapped around a huge barbell.

"You know, when I was in my prime, I could lift twice this weight no problemo," the overweight cop boasted while beads of sweat dribbled down his face.

"Oh, thank god!" Shadow approached Tails, a look of sheer desperation on his face. "Somebody with a brain cell! Can you tell these idiots to stop? They're having a 'who can kill themselves the stupidest ' contest..."

Yeah. Tails supposed he just had to tell them.

"Okay, can I have everybody's attention please? "

Several pairs of eyes flicked toward him. He felt his stomach churn.

"We have a teensy little bit of a situation..." Said the fox...

...............................................

Tom sat with a beer in hand, one claw tapping against the cool metal can. It was several minutes since they'd returned, and Tom was taking a moment to clear his head while Sonic helped Maddie clean up, and Tails was busy processing data in his lab. Beside him, trying not to stare but not knowing where to look, Wade fiddled with the buttons on his Hawaiian shirt.

"So..." began the large cop, thinking about the bombshell that had been dropped this last half hour. "What... what should I tell everyone at the station?"

Tom huffed, and took a swig of beer.

"I don't know Wade," grumbled Tom, sloshing the beer around in its can. "Maybe just tell 'em we've gone native. "

"Well... you _are_ not wearing any pants..."

It took Tom a moment to figure out just what Wade was blathering about. Then Tom gave him a look.

"That's 'going commando', dumbass."

Wade wore an insulted expression. "Hey! No need to get short, I'm just... oh wait... sorry..."

Tom maintained his glare, before shaking his head and taking another swig.

"Well I think... " Tom almost choked on his beer as a pair of hands wrapped around his shoulders and began to massage his fur. "That you're absolutely _adorable..._ " Rouge 's voice drifted between his ears, and Tom suddenly felt deeply uncomfortable.

The bat-woman leaned in close and whispered seductively into his ear.

"I haven't had hedgehog in a while..."

"Right! That's it!! " Tom was up and out of his chair, storming across the sand, just about done with the world and everything in it. "I'm going to find a hole, bury myself in it, and die!!!"

Rouge laughed maniacally, while Wade stood to follow his childhood friend. He shot a look at Shadow, who was currently trying to pretend he was on another planet.

"Shadow, please just... Try to keep your girlfriend under control, okay?"

"Dad, she's not my g-" before Shadow could begin to protest, Wade had gone. Rouge shot the human a wink as he left.

Shadow looked to his bat companion, appalled.

"I... do not... believe you sometimes, Rouge."

Rouge stuck her tounge out at the hedgehog, and continued to sip her wine.

........................................

Tom's ears swivelled and he glanced over his shoulder as familiar footsteps thudded along the length of the wooden pier. Wade came to a halt beside him, looking like a giant from Tom's new perspective.

There was a brief silence, as both men looked at the water. 

"Hey... " began Wade, uncertainty in his voice as he looked down at his friend. "You, uhh... You doing okay, dude?"

Tom sighed heavily. He tried, and failed, to slip his hands into pockets that weren't there. Not knowing what to do with his hands, Tom settled for placing them on his hips like he'd seen sonic do.

"What am I gonna do, Wade? " the brown hedgehog shook his head, mismatched quills swaying with the motion. "Maddie and I... we have a life back home. In Green Hills. On _Earth..._ are we just supposed to... walk away and forget about it all?"

Wade shrugged, unsure what to say. "You can still always go back, Tom."

Tom laughed humorlessly. "And do what, Wade? Keep being sheriff? That's a laugh... Sheriff Tom Wachowski the Hedgehog! I don't even meet basic height requirements, Wade.... "

"The town won't care what you are! Damn Tom, everybody in town's already used to three furry space creatures! Why not another two?" 

Tom just shook his head, and ran a hand through messy quills.

"I dunno Wade... I just don't think things are gonna work out that way... "

"I'll stick around as long as you need me..."

"Thanks Wade."

The two friends stood and watched as the Mobian sun set over the water. And Tom Wachowski wondered what was next in store in his crazy life.


	7. The new normal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom and Maddie try to deal with their new lives as intergalactic space rodents.

It's peaceful here... pitch dark... warm, and safe, and quiet. Almost like being back in the womb. 

He smiles. He tightens up, scrunching the darkness around him, happy and safe and alone at ease...

Something pokes at him from the outside world. He ignores it. All he wants is to stay in this comforting space a while longer...

Another poke. A nudge. This time, a muffled voice calls for him.

"Dad?"

"Go away..." He squeezes himself in a little tighter, limbs curling to his chest, willing the outside intruder to leave him be...

"Dad!"

He grumbled sleepily. Why would they not leave him alone in his bubble?

"Dad! Come on!"

Just leave him alone...

Forever...

...........................................

Sonic stood, hands on hips, looking down at a brown spiky ball nestled atop a sleeping bag. He sighed and impatiently nudged the ball with his foot again.

"Dad come on. It's three in the afternoon, Mom says you have to get up."

A muffled voice came from inside the ball, instructing Sonic to leave in a less than polite manner.

"Dad, if you don't get up now I'm gonna use you for soccer practice."

Another grumble and the ball scrunched itself in tighter. Sonic rolled his eyes and hefted a long wooden pole with a brush on the end.

"Okay, you leave me no choice, I'm using the broom!"

Sonic jabbed the broom end like a bayonet, poking the ball in the places he knew the crevices would be. There was a yelp of surprise - that did the trick. The ball slowly unfurled over the sleeping bag, transforming into a very sleepy and unamused brown hedgehog.

Sonic held the broom like a musket and saluted. "Welcome back to the land of the living, father!"

Tom just stared at him one eye half closed.

"Wha'joo'wan?!?" The senior Wachowski groggily enquired, rubbing snot from his eyes.

"Mom sent me to get you up." Sonic replied cheerfully, zipping over to the window and ripping open the curtains in a flash. The brown hedgehog on the sleeping bag yelped and smacked a hand to his face at the invading sunlight.

"Jeez kid, do you have to do that?" Tom groaned and lay on his back. "This is supposed to be a vacation..."

"Yeah well, y'know. After... everything that happened last week mom's getting worried you're... shutting yourself away..." Sonic ambled back to the door, pointing the end of his broom at his adoptive father. "And to be honest, she's right. How many days in a row does a hedgehog have to pry open his dad like a clam? "

"Not like I have anything to get up for..." Tom grumbled, raising himself into a sitting position .

"Dad, you can't just spend every day in your room pretending to be a kickball."

"Yeah well, tell that to the referee..." Tom replied, sleepily beginning to curl back into his ball.

"Dad, NO!!!"

...............................................

Tom let out a huge yawn as he stumbled into the living space of the shack. Tired of being prodded and poked like an angry boil, he'd relented to the unstoppable force of Sonic and the broom and wrenched himself into a state of half-consiousness. His fur and quills stuck out at amazing angles, and he rubbed a lump on his forehead where he'd smacked his head on the low-hanging doorway the week before.

He snorted to himself. At least he didn't have to worry about that anymore.

He looked over to the small open kitchen, where a black hedgehog in a denim jacket, with slicked-back quills arranged in the facsimile of a ponytail, stood next to a large refrigerator.

He smiled. At least there was one thing worth getting up for.

The black- furred hedgehog looked at him with tired brown eyes as he padded into the kitchen, giving him a small smile.

"Glad to see you're finally awake..." she said to him, clutching a glass of water in padded hands.

Tom grunted a reply and marched past her, opening the refrigerator with a gloved hand and breathing a sigh of joy as his eyes fell on an unopened six pack of Earth beer.

"Ooh, yes..." The brown hedgehog whispered, taking a moment to appreciate the cool air from the fridge and grabbing one of the cans. "come to me, my precious..."

Maddie just gaped at him as he grabbed an extra beer, nudged the fridge door closed with his ass, and left the kitchen without saying another word.

...............................................

"Uh... Good morning, Mr Wachowski!" Amy, the pink female hedgehog who lived nearby, gave Tom an uncertain wave as he flopped into a sofa, and kicked his feet onto the coffee table. Under... normal circumstances he wouldn't have understood what she said without a special translator device, but whatever power had turned him and his wife into space hedgehogs had also given them a perfect understanding of the Mobian language. He grunted in reply, before snapping open his beer.

"Don't mind him, Ames..." Said Sonic, sitting beside her on the other couch. "My dad's just being a grumpy little hedgehog today. Again."

Tom raised a finger to his adopted son in response. A bewildered Amy raised an eyebrow at the curious Earth gesture.

Sonic shook his head. "Don't ask..."

"So," came another voice, causing three pairs of ears on three hedgehogs to perk up. "Is this all you're gonna do for the rest of your life?" Maddie was stood behind the couch, hands on hips, looking down at her slouching husband. "Sit around getting drunk all day and being an asshole?"

Tom shrugged. "Not like I got anything better to do..." He muttered.

"Well you could try," his wife replied, glaring at the top of his head, "to be a little more positive?"

"What me?" The brown hedgehog guffawed and turned to her, spreading his arms wide. "I'm the absolute picture of positivity! Look at me! Thomas Michael Wachowski the Hedgehog! Gotta smile fast!!" He condescendingly grinned and flashed a thumbs-up.

Maddie just glared at him.

Tom's ears dropped and he slumped into the couch.

"Look, Maddie... I'm sorry, but our lives are over..." He whined, feeling like an absolute loser. "Miles can't figure out a way to change us back. everything we've worked for, our friends, our families... It's all just over. Because of something none of us can understand..." He looked darkly at his feet. "Over."

"You don't know that," Maddie replied coldly.

Tom laughed, looking back to his black-furred wife. "Oh yeah? Then how about you change my mind? Tell me what we have to be positive about in this situation right now?"

Maddie folded her arms. "We have our family, we have a safe place to live, and we have people around us willing to help however they can," she replied cooly. She gestured toward Sonic. "That's more than our son had for ten _years_ on Earth. _Alone._ "

Tom just stared down at his feet, clad in the red and white sneakers Sonic had given him.

"If that's not enough Tom, then..." Maddie sighed , shaking her head, and turned to leave the shack. "I don't know. I just don't know any more."

With that, she was gone.

A deafening silence enveloped the room, Sonic and Amy wearing expressions of extreme discomfort while Tom just glowered at his feet.

"So," began Sonic, clapping his hands loudly. "Amy... do you... wanna go be someplace that isn't here?"

"I would love to go be someplace that isn't here!" Amy replied, nodding frantically.

"Okay, uhh... Bye dad!"

The blue hedgehog and the pink hedgehog were gone in an instant, leaving the brown hedgehog alone with his thoughts.

..............................................

"Hey kiddo... you doing okay?"

Tails jerked as a soft voice came from behind and a hand lay on his shoulder. He turned and smiled as he recognised the black fur, blue denim, and brown eyes of his adopted mother.

"Hey Maddie..." The fox replied, yawning at his work desk. He pushed up his goggles, revealing tired bloodshot eyes. "Just thinking, is all..."

Maddie rubbed his shoulder reassuringly. "You were up all night again, weren't you?"

The teenager shrugged. "I may have stayed awake longer than usual, yes... "

Maddie laughed. "I can't get my husband to wake up, I can't get you to sleep... what am I going to do with you boys? "

Tails gave a small grin, flashing the tips of his sharp teeth. "Tom curled up again?"

"Yep."

"Did sonic have to use the broom? "

Maddie grinned broadly, despite herself. "Yeah, he did... the Broom of Doom..."

"The Broom of Doom?!" Chortled the fox, "Where did you come up with that?"

"I don't know, I just thought of it..."

The two shared a laugh, glad that they could still find some humor in the situation.

The laughter died down. Tails sighed and looked to his mother with worried eyes.

"Dad's taking this real hard, isn't he? "

Maddie wrapped her hands around his shoulders, feeling his mood sour. Miles didn't often call refer to Tom as Maddie as mom or dad, and the times when he did were in emotional distress. She knew the fox blamed himself for being unable to reverse whatever had happened to the two humans, no matter how many sleepless nights he spent working, and was giving himself a real hard time about it.

" We just have to be there for him, okay? " she said softly, "and for each other?"

"Yeah..." Tails climbed out of his chair and stretched as he stood, the eighteen year old now towering over Maddie the way a human teenager might with their own mother. He looked down at her, guilt pasted over his features. "Mom?"

Maddie took his hand. "Yeah baby?"

"I'm... sorry I couldn't fix this... I'm sorry I couldn't find a way to... "

"Hey..." Maddie reached up and began to scratch behind his ears, just like she had when he'd been young. "It's not your fault, kiddo. Were all together, that's all that matters... " she smiled as she remembered how _tiny_ he and Sonic had been, all those years ago. "Besides, it's a nice change looking _up_ at my boys... It makes me realise how much you've grown... "

Tails laughed and batted her hand away. "Mom... don't get mushy..."

They stood together for a while, mother and son just having a moment while they thought of the craziness that had enveloped their lives.

Tails cleared his throat, wiping his hands together as Maddie released her grip. 

"Well mom, I'd... Better get back to work... I have some adjustments to make on the Tornado, plus there's a renewable energy system I want to work on for the truck. Y'know, just in case... you and dad are around for a while..."

"Can I help?" perked up Maddie, sliding her hands into her jacket pockets. "I feel like... I need to do _something._ Just can't sit still."

Tails frowned. "Arent you a veterinarian?"

"You're never too old to try new things, kiddo!"

"Hmm..." Tails leaned back and rubbed his chin mock-thoughtfully. "I suppose I could use a new lab assistant... "

Maddie grinned eagerly, and trailed behind her son as they went to work.

.............................................

Tom screwed his eyes shut as he stepped from the shack into the musky evening sun of Mobius. Squinting against the setting sun, he flicked open a pair of shades and slid them onto his face. 

He was still extremely hot, even though he wore nothing but a borrowed pair of Sonic's sneakers and gloves. Tom had learned quickly why most male Mobians went without clothing (as Miles had explained, the males tended to have rougher and thicker fur than the females) and he'd just decided that when in Rome, do as the Romans do.

He also decided he couldn't sit around the house any longer. Despite his mood, he was still used to being a police officer, and he needed to get out and find something to do. He needed some activity.

Besides. He had been a jackass, and he had some making up to do.

Tom trudged through the sand, another beer in hand, and soon spied who he was looking for. A little ways ahead, four figures were playing what looked like volleyball, one brown, one pink, one red - and one blue.

...............................................

"I got it! I got it!!!"

Knuckles the echidna leaped, flew gracefully through the air, and slammed face first into the sand. The ball he had so confidently claimed to have 'got' bounced within the score zone, and two female voices cheered in triumph.

"Woo! And Team Rose takes the win!"

Amy and Sticks leaped into the air and performed a high-five, while Sonic recovered from his own unfortunate stumble.

"Hey come on, that wasn't even fair!" He whined, arms spread wide at the taunting girls. "I was still flat on my butt!"

Sticks, the badger girl, made a defiant fist with one hand and pointed at the complaining hedgehog with the other. "No excuses! Just admit you can't compete with two strong, independent, super talented..."

"And beautiful!" added Amy.

"...Butt-kicking women like us!!!"

Sonic raised his hands in despair. "Oh, again with the feminism?"

"You wanted to do girls vs boys, Sonic!" smirked Amy, folding her arms over her chest. "Don't start crying just because you two suck!"

Sonic's skinny arms slunk as he turned to bury his fallen teammate out of the sand. "If this was baseball," he groaned, "I'd totally own you guys... "

"Aaagh! shapeshifter!!"

Everybody jumped at Sticks' high-pitched screech, and looked in the direction the badger was pointing. Sonic's brow furrowed as he recognised the brown hedgehog with the shades.

Tom stopped just before the court, awkwardly scuffing his feet in the sand. He went to hook a thumb in his pocket, cursed himself for the hundredth time upon remembering he had no pockets, and instead gestured sheepishly around the court.

"You guys... mind if I hang out?"

Sonic raised a hand before Sticks could inflate her lungs, and caught a concerned look from Amy.

"You sure you want to, Tom?" Tom's ears dropped as he felt a stab of guilt. Sonic only called him by his first name when he was angry with him. "You seemed real good by yourself a little while ago."

Tom shrugged meekly. "I... changed my mind. Thought I could use some company." He looked to his left and gestured to a nearby rock with his beer. "I'll just sit and watch... that okay?"

Sonic looked to the others. Knuckles have him a quick thumbs up, Amy smiled encouragingly, while Sticks just crossed her arms and glared at the 'shapeshifter '. But the badger remained silent, which was probably as much approval as they would get.

"Okay, old man..." Sonic said with a grin, "but try not to get any second-hand exercise!"

Tom set himself down on the large rock as the game continued. It burned his ass a little, but he'd take that over sitting on the ground and getting sand all in his fur again. He wondered how Sonic and his friends managed to keep themselves immaculately groomed all the time.

...............................................

Tom sat and watched the game, struggling to keep up with the speed these kids could play at, but content to just soak up rays and sip his beer. He must have fallen asleep at some point, because he was suddenly blinking through bleary eyes at the sight of a blue hedgehog and a red echidna staring down at him with intent.

He leaned up and raised his shades, tucking them just in front of his ears.

"Can I... help you gentlemen?"

.................................................

"Sonic, you know I haven't played any sports in years, right? "

"Hey, relax!" Sonic grinned as he marched Tom onto the court, "just think of it as an important father-son bonding activity!" He stood his father centre-court and leaned in to cheekily pat his stomach. "Besides, you could stand to lose a little of this!"

Tom wore an unamused expression as he looked at his son.

"That's no fair!" Screamed Sticks, outraged. "You get a third player?"

"Hey, with the way you guys are winning, I think we need the crutch! "

With that, the game kicked off again. Tom stood paralysed, with no idea what to do, the ball sending him dizzy as it moved faster than he could react. He stumbled to the left uncertainly - maybe all that beer had been a bad idea after all - and then his eyes registered a round blur streaking right toward his face.

"Oh crap-"

The ball made its impact like a missile, flipping him end over end over end until he rolled to a stop in the sand. He slowly unfurled from his protective state, dazily registering colourful and concerned faces surrounding him.

"Oh Mr Wachowski!! I'm so sorry, are you okay?!? " Amy cried with her hands to her face while Sticks cackled with glee.

"Nice catch, dad!" Sonic laughed, while he and Knuckles reached down to help the older hedgehog to his feet.

"I guess that's what you call..." Tom grunted painfully as he stood, head pounding, "having a ball..."

"That was terrible, dad..." Groaned Sonic, while Tom scratched at himself.

"Hey, I thought it was pretty clever..." mumbled knuckles.

"Ugh," Tom was busy scratting irritably at his fur, "how do you guys deal with this crap?"

Sonic just grinned slyly, then looked back to his large red friend.

"Hey Knuckles..."

"Yeah? "

"I think my dad needs a bath..."

Tom looked on in trepidation as two silhouettes enveloped him.

"Guys? What are you doing? guys.. hey! Put me down!! Sonic, I swear you two put me down or I'll..."

Sheriff Wachowski squealed in alarm as he was unceremoniously dumped into the Mobian ocean by a blue hedgehog and a red echidna, while a brown badger screeched with sadistic delight.

Amy shook her head at the display, face in palm. 

"Boys... "

................................................

"So..." Said Maddie, thumbing through one of the books she'd brought from Earth. "At least you had some fun today!"

"Yeah, sure..." replied the bundle of smelly, poofy brown fur on the sleeping bag beside her, peeling off damp white gloves and throwing them to the floor. "Was a freakin'" blast..."

The couple were sat on their sleeping bags, arranged on a mattress in a spare room of Sonic's shack. They had said very little to one another since their earlier... discussion, but Tom knew he had an apology to make.

"Y'know mads..." He began flexing his fingers , sheathing the claws in and out. "You were right. This place... it's safe, we're with the kids, we aren't being hunted by a government that wants to dissect us... there's a lot worse situations we could be in right now.

Maddie shook her head and clapped her book shut. She couldn't concentrate on the damn thing anyway... As if her mind was moving too fast for the pages. It was driving her crazy. She set the reading material beside her and rested a hand on her husband's arm.

" I know you're upset, baby... " she said softly, "We might have lost everything... our lives, our careers... our families back home... "

Tom chuckled. "Well there's one positive at least. I might never have to deal with your sister again..."

He recoiled and gasped as Maddie smacked his hand.

"But we're together," she continued, "And we'll get through this. Like we always do."

He squeezed her wrist and offered a sad smile.

"You're right," he said, ears flattened and puppy-dog eyed, "I'm sorry..."

Maddie leaned forward and cupped a hand around his chin.

"We will go home one day, Tom. whether we're human... or not. Green Hills will still be there. "

Tom nodded, proud of the determination in his wife's eyes.the

"I love you, Mads."

"Love you too, baby. "

..............................................

Maddie woke during the night, disturbed by the rustle of fabric and the shifting of weight on the mattress. she turned, bleary eyed and leaned on an elbow. Where her husband had been, shortly before, a brown spiky ball was nestled atop the sleeping back, breathing peacefully.

she shook her head and lay back down, grumbling to herself before heading back to sleep.

"Boy's destined to get that broom stuck up his ass..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unsure when I'm gonna update next, but I have ideas of what I want to happen next, and I'm really enjoying writing the hedgehog-ified Wachowskis!

**Author's Note:**

> My Tumblr https://theincredibledogboy.tumblr.com


End file.
